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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Personal Statement vs. Statement of Purpose

By Justine
D'Souza

World
Education Services

There are few
consistent practices when applying to universities. Although most schools
maintain a basic set of requirements, individual institutions set their own
standards as well. Some universities, for example, require prospective students
to write a statement of purpose, whereas others require a personal statement.

Applicants
write both personal statements and statements of purpose to provide admissions
officers with relevant individualized information about their background,
goals, and competencies. These statements should not look like a list of
activities or résumé summary. They should showcase an applicant’s voice in
describing his/her candidacy. It is where applicants can speak for themselves
and elaborate upon accomplishments that other application materials do not
showcase in as much detail.

Both
statement types should have a clear, direct, and concise writing style. They
should also focus on the candidate’s preparation for the program and what
he/she plans to do with the education at the school to which he/she is
applying. The two have similar functions, but there are differences as well.

Universities
typically request personal statements for undergraduate or scholarship
applications. Statements usually have a 250–350-word limit. They require
applicants to describe how their personal and academic backgrounds render them
strong candidates for a particular school or program. They also require
applicants to provide some information about their goals. Personal statements
often have a generalized format. Applicants have freedom in what they write
about—and how they write it—as long as they follow application instructions.

Statements of
purpose typically require one to two pages. Universities usually request them
for graduate school applications and professional programs. Therefore, they
often focus on the applicant’s workforce and/or research-oriented experiences,
and application instructions provide a few guiding questions for applicants to
answer. Additionally, statements of purpose require more detailed information
about an applicant’s goals and how the schools/programs will help him or her
succeed. In short, they require a bit more projection into the future than
personal statements.

It is
important to research programs/schools before writing so you can tailor your
statements for each application. You should know and honestly express why you
will excel in any given program and how you will use your experiences to
achieve future ambitions.

Some schools
require both personal statements and statements of purpose. This guide should
help you determine how to distinguish the two.

Remember,
though, that all schools have different expectations. If you find yourself
confused or unsure of how to proceed with your statements for a given application,
feel free to reach out to your admissions contact.